what’s more effective? the gym or home workouts

trulyhealy
trulyhealy Posts: 242 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
the gyms have just opened back up where i am and i’ve been doing home workouts up until now and i’ve just started going to the gym.

what do you find for you or in general is more effective? (i know that any exercise is good but i’m jsur curious)

info weight training and cardio and i’ve managed to job for 20 mins on the treadmill without stopping and i’ve never been able to do that before. i probably could of went for 30 if i really tried
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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Dunno for you as no idea what equipment you have at home or what your training program is or what your goals are.

    For me the gym is massively more effective for strength training and cycling outdoors is far more effective for my cardio goals.

    Training indoors at home I find tedious, too many distractions, lacking in equipment and focus.

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    For me, as a competitive powerlifter, the gym is more effective.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    For me, as a competitive powerlifter, the gym is more effective.

    Lol, I was just thinking of you - that it would be neither cost effective nor practical for you to try to set up a home gym.

    For someone like me who uses way less weights, a home gym plus cardio outdoors is fine.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    For me, as a competitive powerlifter, the gym is more effective.

    Lol, I was just thinking of you - that it would be neither cost effective nor practical for you to try to set up a home gym.

    For someone like me who uses way less weights, a home gym plus cardio outdoors is fine.

    And yet, I'm still trying. Gotta be ready for the next lockdown. :p I've got a power rack and a barbell, now I need to find some weight plates.
  • sal10851
    sal10851 Posts: 171 Member
    To improve you have to implement progressive overload. In other words you go harder than last time. If last time you ran 20 next run 21. Harder than last time. If you lifted 50 pounds next time lift 51. If you went over on your calories next time don't go over on your calories. Better than last time. That's how you improve. A room full of equipment is pointless when you don't try harder than last time.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    edited September 2020
    Home workouts are more effective for me. I don’t have (or want) a gym membership. I have a full lifting setup (rack/bench/bars/bumper and iron plates, KB, dumbbells....) as well as treadmill, I rower, air bike, heavy bag and other assorted stuff.

    I am mostly a runner so most of my workouts are outdoors. But for non-running stuff? It would never happen if I had to go to a gym to do it.

    FWIW-I used the money I saved from quitting smoking and the money I would haven spent on a gym membership to fund my home gym.

    Point being-the one you’ll do is the effective one. I won’t go to a gym and workout in front of other people. So the gym is not effective for me. Home is. Others are the opposite for the reasons that matter to them.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I have a good amount of equipment and I love working out alone so home gym for me . It depends on what you mean by more effective, what you will actually do and your goals.
  • LiftandSkate
    LiftandSkate Posts: 148 Member
    If you like to lift heavy, and I do, the gym is the way to go. It's been very challenging and frustrating only having a total of 130# of weights to work with at home!
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    it depends on your goals, your equipment vs the local gym's equipment, etc. our local gyms didn't have the stuff i'd really like to use, so over time, we started building our home gym in our little condo.

    we have what we need for very effective workouts including one of these
    https://valorfitness.com/products/valor-fitness-bd-62-wall-mount-cable-station
    which is basically a tiny functional trainer and you can raise or lower the cables to 16 positions so it's great for pullovers, ab workouts and low rows, not to mention lat pulldowns, tricep pulldowns and kickbacks, lower back and ab work, bicep curls and chest. we have all sorts of weight plates next to it.

    i also have dumbbell, barbells and toys like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OZ0HECI/ (i use this for hip adductions) and a bullworker (go figure) as well as a recumbent exercise bike. i'm working on a better set of dumbbells and considering if i can make room for a set of fixed or should stay with adjustable ones.
  • AndreaTamira
    AndreaTamira Posts: 272 Member
    edited September 2020
    Whatever works for you.

    I dont like doing workouts at home around my family. It feels awkward. So, I go for long walks and to the gym. If there was a pool around I'd most likely do most of my exercising in the water instead, as I miss swimming.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    I tend to work harder at the gym even if I am doing stuff I could do just as well at home. It's not a huge difference but over time it would add up, for sure. Plus I don't have much in the way of weights at home, nor do I have a heavy bag.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    THIS:
    msalicia07 wrote: »
    The one you stick to and enjoy.

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    For me, as a competitive powerlifter, the gym is more effective.

    Lol, I was just thinking of you - that it would be neither cost effective nor practical for you to try to set up a home gym.

    For someone like me who uses way less weights, a home gym plus cardio outdoors is fine.

    If you have the space and shop around (it took me 2 years) you can get commercial equipment cheap.

    I have a full commercial (except for my power blocks) gym in my basement, so it’s way more convenient to work out at home. Now, If only I had the time to use it more...
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    zebasschick wrote: »
    it depends on your goals, your equipment vs the local gym's equipment, etc. our local gyms didn't have the stuff i'd really like to use, so over time, we started building our home gym in our little condo.

    we have what we need for very effective workouts including one of these
    https://valorfitness.com/products/valor-fitness-bd-62-wall-mount-cable-station
    which is basically a tiny functional trainer and you can raise or lower the cables to 16 positions so it's great for pullovers, ab workouts and low rows, not to mention lat pulldowns, tricep pulldowns and kickbacks, lower back and ab work, bicep curls and chest. we have all sorts of weight plates next to it.

    i also have dumbbell, barbells and toys like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OZ0HECI/ (i use this for hip adductions) and a bullworker (go figure) as well as a recumbent exercise bike. i'm working on a better set of dumbbells and considering if i can make room for a set of fixed or should stay with adjustable ones.

    In a condo, I would stick with the adjustable ones personally and utilize the space for something else that doesn’t have a compact option, but that’s just me 😊
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »
    zebasschick wrote: »
    it depends on your goals, your equipment vs the local gym's equipment, etc. our local gyms didn't have the stuff i'd really like to use, so over time, we started building our home gym in our little condo.

    we have what we need for very effective workouts including one of these
    https://valorfitness.com/products/valor-fitness-bd-62-wall-mount-cable-station
    which is basically a tiny functional trainer and you can raise or lower the cables to 16 positions so it's great for pullovers, ab workouts and low rows, not to mention lat pulldowns, tricep pulldowns and kickbacks, lower back and ab work, bicep curls and chest. we have all sorts of weight plates next to it.

    i also have dumbbell, barbells and toys like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OZ0HECI/ (i use this for hip adductions) and a bullworker (go figure) as well as a recumbent exercise bike. i'm working on a better set of dumbbells and considering if i can make room for a set of fixed or should stay with adjustable ones.

    In a condo, I would stick with the adjustable ones personally and utilize the space for something else that doesn’t have a compact option, but that’s just me 😊


    yeah, that's what i should do. i just love the convenience of grabbing a dumbbell and getting to the next move rather than fumbling and messing with it.

    how noisy are the power blocks? others i've tried rattle madly... i'm currently using spinlocks.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited September 2020
    I'm not sure what you mean by "effective", but I'm more likely to work out at home than to make a special trip to the gym, especially these days. I guess home is more effective for me, then, in the sense that I actually complete more workouts.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    zebasschick wrote: »
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »
    zebasschick wrote: »
    it depends on your goals, your equipment vs the local gym's equipment, etc. our local gyms didn't have the stuff i'd really like to use, so over time, we started building our home gym in our little condo.

    we have what we need for very effective workouts including one of these
    https://valorfitness.com/products/valor-fitness-bd-62-wall-mount-cable-station
    which is basically a tiny functional trainer and you can raise or lower the cables to 16 positions so it's great for pullovers, ab workouts and low rows, not to mention lat pulldowns, tricep pulldowns and kickbacks, lower back and ab work, bicep curls and chest. we have all sorts of weight plates next to it.

    i also have dumbbell, barbells and toys like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OZ0HECI/ (i use this for hip adductions) and a bullworker (go figure) as well as a recumbent exercise bike. i'm working on a better set of dumbbells and considering if i can make room for a set of fixed or should stay with adjustable ones.

    In a condo, I would stick with the adjustable ones personally and utilize the space for something else that doesn’t have a compact option, but that’s just me 😊


    yeah, that's what i should do. i just love the convenience of grabbing a dumbbell and getting to the next move rather than fumbling and messing with it.

    how noisy are the power blocks? others i've tried rattle madly... i'm currently using spinlocks.

    The powerblocks are quiet and easy to change out weights. You just put them back into the base and move the pin to your desired weight. Slightly more complicated in the set I have as it has more weight ranges and I may or may not need to put in or remove the adder weights also, BUT fantastic if you lack space and not so convoluted to change that I wish for a set of dumbbells daily.

    I have the space for dumbbells, I just want a urethane commercial set of them with contoured handles and I haven’t found them for the price I’m willing to pay yet. So until then, my powerblocks (purchased used with the stand pre covid19) are my go to. 😊
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Home 4me.

    Have all the time & equipment that I need to do whatever I beed 2do there
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 231 Member
    I am not ready to go back to the gym and I may eventually drop my membership. For cardio I find that I work harder trying to keep up with exercise videos than I worked at the gym. I tended to slack at the gym. I do need to get better with strength training at home.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I don't do well with home workouts. We have the equipment but my focus isn't the same and I don't maintain the same intensity. I can move weight the same, but my heart rate doesn't stay as high. I don't get as good of a metabolic workout, the kids, the bugs (our setup is in an open carport, no garage door), the humidity, it's distracting. Having my comfortable home right there just doesn't do it for me.

    I love the gym. It's my happy place. I go there to work out, I get warmed up and stay warmed up. I'm in the zone. I do so much better.
  • rltolle2015
    rltolle2015 Posts: 7 Member
    I love working out at home. It’s easier to fit into my day.
  • JintheSouth
    JintheSouth Posts: 44 Member
    edited September 2020
    I had found a nice mix of at home and gym training before Covid. I’d workout at home during the week and at the gym on the weekends.
    I’ve worked out at home for 30 years so I have a lot of equipment. I use resistance bands and kettlebells at home, but I use the weight machines at the gym. I do jump rope for cardio at home, but at the gym I use the treadmill and rowing machine. I’m not interested in buying a treadmill for my home so I use the one at the gym. I did buy a very cheap rower from Walmart but, you know, after 5 months of use you get what you paid for. If I’m not back at the gym soon, I may splurge and buy a nicer rower.
    I don’t think it would hurt to mix gym and at home training, depending on your needs and especially if the gym is affordable. On those days when you can’t make it to the gym, you can workout at home. It shouldn’t be an end-all be-all type of thing with fitness options, I think.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    For me it is both.

    I love the gym environment. There is just something energizing about being around a lot of other people with fitness goals even if they are different from mine. I wouldn't mind having a complete gym at home but even if I could find enough room it would not replace that gym experience.

    With that said I also like the convenience of doing some of my exercise at home. If I tried to do it all at a gym it would take more time and be a less ideal life balance. I also like the peace and the solitude of getting up early and it just being me for a time.

  • Carp614
    Carp614 Posts: 191 Member
    I'm currently focused on burning excess fat and improving my cardiovascular health. I don't believe I need a gym to do that. It might be nice, but I don't think it's required.

    I see a possible future wherein I shift focus to building some muscle. That would be my switchover point I think. Taking it one day at a time till then.
  • brianstramel
    brianstramel Posts: 2 Member
    The one you are more likely to do. I've never had a gym membership and always been exceptionally fit, often with minimal equipment. I'm way more likely to workout if I just have to toss on some shorts and go downstairs.

    However, I'm an intrinsically motivated introvert. For others, a gym membership can be better because so long as they can find the motivation to get there, once at the gym the sense of community takes care of the rest.

    As far as "effective" in terms of performance; a person could forge a world-class body in terms of raw strength, power and anaerobic/aerobic capacity with the only equipment needed being a bar to pull up on.
  • tnh2o
    tnh2o Posts: 161 Member
    Other than a pool, I have no use for a gym. I'm short and the equipment doesn't really adjust to fit my proportions, exercises classes I avoid because I don't like people, spin is all the misery of riding a bike with none of the joy, and other things I have to modify (like I can't lay my hands flat). I'm better off keeping myself at home. And if I get Covid the outcome would probably not be good.
    There's always exceptions: yoga class because I'm not very good and could use some more instruction and if I could find the perfect personal trainer for me.....I know enough to know that if I am not doing something correctly I am more likely to hurt than help myself so I'll just keep it simple.

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